Dual use wall mounted child safety banister

ABSTRACT

A banister that mounts on a stair wall comprising two parallel handrails and a plurality of balusters, each baluster being embedded within both rails. The stand-alone banister resembles a ladder where the rungs are not perpendicular to the two parallel side members. The banister is mounted to a wall rather than to the stairs or the floor at the landing or the opening of the stair well. It is mounted such that the balusters are vertical, and the handrails are angled so as to be parallel to the staircase angle. Therefore, one handrail will be higher than the other when mounted on the wall. The upper handrail will be positioned at a height convenient for gripping by an adult, while the lower handrail will be positioned at a height convenient for gripping by a child. When a child ascends or descends a staircase, he or she will either grip the lower handrail or the balusters to provide support and balance.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The Present Invention relates to the field of stairway handrails.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Handrails are installed in stairways to prevent injury to occupants and to assist in ascending and descending the stairways. They are mounted so as to be in easy reach for persons ascending and descending the stairs. When the handrails are mounted on stair walls, they are normally merely single rails. However, where no wall exists, a complete banister is required comprising a handrail and balusters mounted to the stairs or landing and supporting the handrail. The standards for a banister are governed by the “stair building code” promulgated by the International Code Council and the Stairway Manufacturers' Association. A banister comprises an easily gripped rake rail positioned between 34 to 38 inches high and a plurality of balusters, each of which are inserted both into a stair or landing and into the handrail. One end of the banister is secured to a wall. Therefore, the balusters mount to the stairs, and the handrail mounts to the balusters. The balusters are positioned close enough together so as not to allow passage of a 4⅜-inch sphere between them.

When an adult ascends or descends a staircase, he or she will grip the handrail at approximately waist height. However, a small child must usually reach up to grab the handrail. Very small children must sometimes reach above their heads. This generates an unsafe condition. Children can easily fall down a flight of stairs and suffer severe injuries. Furthermore, the size or diameter of the handrail is often too large to be securely gripped by a child's hand. It is optimized for an adult sized hand.

The problem to be solved is how to construct a banister that has a dual use for adults and for small children. Merely positioning a handrail at the proper height for children does not necessarily solve the problem. Children do not always hold on a handrail for support and balance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The Present Invention is a banister that mounts on a stair wall. It comprises two parallel handrails and a plurality of balusters, each baluster being embedded within both rails. The stand-alone banister resembles a ladder where the rungs are not perpendicular to the two parallel side members. The banister is mounted to a wall rather than on the stairs, the landing, or the floor at the opening of the stair well. It is mounted such that the balusters are vertical, and the handrails are angled so as to be parallel to the staircase angle. Therefore, one handrail will be higher than the other when mounted on the wall. The upper handrail will be positioned at a height convenient for gripping by an adult, while the lower handrail will be positioned at a height convenient for gripping by a child. Here, the purpose of the balusters is not to maintain the upper handrail in position. Instead, they provide an additional grip location for a child because the size of the balusters is more suitable for a smaller hand to grip. When a child ascends or descends a staircase, he or she will grip either the lower handrail or the balusters for support and balance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view showing how the banister mounts to a staircase wall.

FIG. 2 is an isometric view showing details of a section of the banister mounted on the staircase wall.

FIG. 3 is an isometric view showing details of a section of the banister where a baluster is embedded in the lower handrail.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view showing details of a section of the banister where two balusters are embedded in the upper handrail.

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of the banister positioned vertically so as to illustrate that the banister resembles a ladder.

FIG. 6(A) shows a first embodiment of a hand gripping a prior art handrail.

FIG. 6(B) shows a second embodiment of a hand gripping a prior art handrail.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring to FIG. 1, banister 1 is mounted to a staircase wall. The banister comprises two parallel handrails and a plurality of balusters that are not perpendicular to the handrails. The banister is mounted so that the balusters are vertical. Both handrails are manufactured so as to be parallel to each other and at the staircase angle when the balusters are positioned vertically. The banister is mounted to the wall using standard banister mounting brackets. The lower banister is optionally smaller than the upper banister. The plurality of balusters makes it easier for a child to grip in multiple locations. FIG. 2 shows details of a section of the banister mounted to the wall. Upper handrail 2 is maintained in a position parallel to lower handrail 3 by the plurality of balusters 4. Standard mounting brackets 5 and 6 fasten the underside of rails 2 and 3, respectively, to the wall.

FIG. 3 shows a section of the lower handrail 3. Baluster 4 is embedded within the lower handrail at its upper surface. Mounting bracket 6 is shown in the drawing. FIG. 4 shows a section of the upper handrail 2. Baluster 4 is embedded within the upper handrail at its lower surface. Mounting bracket 5 is shown fastening the lower surface of the upper handrail to the wall.

FIG. 5 shows a stand-alone banister 1 with parallel handrails 2 and 3 vertical. The balusters 4 are embedded in both handrails. The balusters are not perpendicular to the handrails.

Any commercially available handrail can be used. The specific type will probably be chosen according to its desirability. FIGS. 6(A) and 6(B) are examples of how the commercially available handrails might be gripped. 

1. A banister comprising at least two essentially parallel handrails connected together by a plurality of essentially parallel balusters positioned transverse to the handrails.
 2. The banister of claim 1 wherein the number of handrails is two.
 3. The banister of claim 1 wherein the balusters are not perpendicular to the handrails.
 4. The banister of claim 2 comprising a plurality mounting brackets for attaching the banister to a surface.
 5. The banister of claim 4 wherein the plurality of mounting brackets are attached to a single handrail.
 6. The banister of claim 4 wherein some of the plurality of mounting brackets are attached to one handrail and others of the plurality of mounting brackets are attached to the other handrail.
 7. The banister of claim 1 wherein the plurality of balusters penetrate at least one of the at least two handrails.
 8. The banister of claim 1 wherein the banister is mounted and attached to a stairway wall adjacent to a staircase comprising stairs, said staircase having an angle of ascent or descent, such that the at least two handrails run parallel to the angle of ascent or descent.
 9. The banister of claim 8 wherein all of the at least two handrails run parallel to the angle of ascent or descent.
 10. The banister of claim 8 wherein the plurality of balusters are essentially vertical.
 11. The banister of claim 8 wherein one of the at least two handrails is an uppermost handrail that is positioned at a height that may be grasped by a hand of an adult ascending or descending the staircase.
 12. The banister of claim 11 wherein the uppermost handrail is positioned at a height between 34 and 38 inches above the stairs.
 13. The banister of claim 11 wherein one of the at least two handrails is a lowermost handrail that is positioned lower than the uppermost handrail at a height that may be grasped by a hand of a small child ascending or descending the staircase.
 14. The banister of claim 13 further comprising at least one additional handrail of the at least two handrails, said at least one additional handrail being positioned between the uppermost handrail and the lowermost handrail. 